Acute and sub-chronic toxicological evaluation of hydro-methanolic extract of Coriandrum sativum L. seeds

Coriandrum sativum L. (CS) seeds are known to possess therapeutic potentials against a variety of physiological disorders. This study assesses acute and sub-chronic toxicity profile of hydro-methanolic extract of CS seeds using OECD guidelines. In acute toxicity study, mice were once orally administered 1000, 3000 and 5000 mg/kg body weight of CS extract. There were no any behavioral alterations or mortality recorded in CS treated groups. The LD50 value was more than 5000 mg/kg body weight. In the sub-chronic oral toxicity study, the animals were orally administered with CS extract (1000, 2000 and 3000 mg/kg body weight) daily for 28 days whereas; vehicle control group received 0.5 % carboxy methyl cellulose. There was significant reduction in food intake, body weight gain and plasma lipid profiles of CS2 and CS3 (2000 and 3000 mg/kg body weight respectively) groups as compared to the control group. However, there were no alterations in haematological profile, relative organ weights, histology and plasma markers of damage of vital organs (heart, liver and kidney). The overall finding of this study indicates that CS extract is non-toxic up to 3000 mg/kg body weight and can be considered as safe for consumption

Coriandrum sativum L. seed extract mitigates lipotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells and prevents atherogenic changes in rats

This study was designed to assess the efficacy of Coriandrum sativum L. (CS) in preventing in vitro low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation mediated macrophage modification. Further, an in vivo study was also conducted to confirm upon the efficacy of CS seed extract in alleviating pathophysiological alterations of high cholesterol diet induced atherosclerosis in rats. Copper mediated cell free oxidation of LDL accounted for elevated indices of malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid hydroperoxide (LHP)and protein carbonyl (PC) and a progressive increment in conjugate diene (CD) levels whereas, reverse set of changes were recorded in presence of CS extract. Cell mediated LDL oxidation (using RAW 264.7 cells) accounted for lowered MDA production and oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) mediated cell death in presence of CS extract and the same was attributed to its potent antioxidant and free radical scavenging potentials. High cholesterol fed atherogenic rats showed elevated lipid indices, evidences of LDL oxidation, plaque formation in thoracic aorta. The same was further validated with immunostaining of cell adhesion molecules and hematoxylin and eosin (HXE) staining. However, co-supplementation of CS to atherogenic rats recorded significant lowering of the above mentioned parameters further strengthening the claim that CS extract is instrumental in preventing onset and progression of atherosclerosis

Entwicklung von Verkapselungsmethoden für Pflanzenextrakte

Organic farming is reliant on alternative active substances like plant extracts for plant protection. Limited stability of plant extracts complicates their use and storage. Consequently, there is a need for the development of novel formulations like encapsulation that stabilize the active substances, control their release and provide an appropriate handling. In the project DevelOPAR (Development of a plant avian repellent) we illustrate how a repellent plant extract is formulated in order to be applied as seed-coating protecting seeds not to be eaten by birds. Testing the methods of ionic gelation and complex coacervation we managed to encapsulate the plant extract and produce homogenous particles that can be applied on corn seeds using a spin coating process

Wigner--Dyson statistics for a class of integrable models

We construct an ensemble of second--quantized Hamiltonians with two bosonic degrees of freedom, whose members display with probability one GOE or GUE statistics. Nevertheless, these Hamiltonians have a second integral of motion, namely the boson number, and thus are integrable. To construct this ensemble we use some ``reverse engineering'' starting from the fact that $n$--bosons in a two--level system with random interactions have an integrable classical limit by the old Heisenberg association of boson operators to actions and angles. By choosing an $n$--body random interaction and degenerate levels we end up with GOE or GUE Hamiltonians. Ergodicity of these ensembles completes the example.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figur

Quantum dots in magnetic fields: thermal response of broken symmetry phases

We investigate the thermal properties of circular semiconductor quantum dots in high magnetic fields using finite temperature Hartree-Fock techniques. We demonstrate that for a given magnetic field strength quantum dots undergo various shape phase transitions as a function of temperature, and we outline possible observable consequences.Comment: In Press, Phys. Rev. B (2001

Ground-state energy and spin in disordered quantum dots

We investigate the ground-state energy and spin of disordered quantum dots using spin-density-functional theory. Fluctuations of addition energies (Coulomb-blockade peak spacings) do not scale with average addition energy but remain proportional to level spacing. With increasing interaction strength, the even-odd alternation of addition energies disappears, and the probability of non-minimal spin increases, but never exceeds 50%. Within a two-orbital model, we show that the off-diagonal Coulomb matrix elements help stabilize a ground state of minimal spin.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Dimensional Dependence of Black Hole Formation in Self-Similar Collapse of Scalar Field

We study classical and quantum self-similar collapses of a massless scalar field in higher dimensions, and examine how the increase in the number of dimensions affects gravitational collapse and black hole formation. Higher dimensions seem to favor formation of black hole rather than other final states, in that the initial data space for black hole formation enlarges as dimension increases. On the other hand, the quantum gravity effect on the collapse lessens as dimension increases. We also discuss the gravitational collapse in a brane world with large but compact extra dimensions.Comment: Improved a few arguments and added a figur

Diamagnetic Persistent Currents and Spontaneous Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking in Mesoscopic Structures

Recently, new strongly interacting phases have been uncovered in mesoscopic systems with chaotic scattering at the boundaries by two of the present authors and R. Shankar. This analysis is reliable when the dimensionless conductance of the system is large, and is nonperturbative in both disorder and interactions. The new phases are the mesoscopic analogue of spontaneous distortions of the Fermi surface induced by interactions in bulk systems and can occur in any Fermi liquid channel with angular momentum $m$. Here we show that the phase with $m$ even has a diamagnetic persistent current (seen experimentally but mysterious theoretically), while that with $m$ odd can be driven through a transition which spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry by increasing the coupling to dissipative leads.Comment: 4 pages, three eps figure

Mode of detection and breast cancer mortality by follow-up time and tumor characteristics among screened women in Cancer Prevention Study-II

Purpose: In a screened population, breast cancer-specific mortality is lower for screen-detected versus symptom-detected breast cancers; however, it is unclear whether this association varies by follow-up time and/or tumor characteristics. To further understand the prognostic utility of mode of detection, we examined its association with breast cancer-specific mortality, overall and by follow-up time, estrogen receptor status, tumor size, and grade. Methods: In the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort, 3975 routinely screened women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (1992–2015). Among 2686 screen-detected and 1289 symptom-detected breast cancers, 206 and 209 breast cancer deaths, respectively, occurred up to 24 years post diagnosis. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated from Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results: Controlling for prognostic factors, symptom detection was associated with higher risk of breast cancer-specific death up to 5 years after diagnosis (HR≤5years = 1.88, 95% CI 1.21–2.91) this association was attenuated in subsequent follow-up (HR>5years = 1.26, 95% CI 0.98–1.63). Within tumor characteristic strata, there was a 1.3–2.7-fold higher risk of breast cancer death associated with symptom-detected cancers ≤ 5 years of follow-up, although associations were only significant for women with tumors < 2 cm (HR≤5years = 2.42, 95% CI 1.19–4.93) and for women with grade 1 or 2 tumors (HR≤5years = 2.72, 95% CI 1.33–5.57). In subsequent follow-up, associations were closer to the null. Conclusions: Screen detection is a powerful prognostic factor for short-term survival. Among women who survived at least 5 years after breast cancer diagnosis, other clinical factors may be more predictive of breast cancer survival

Computer modelling of compact 28/38 GHz dual-band antenna for millimeter-wave 5G applications

YesA four-element compact dual-band patch antenna having a common ground plane operating at 28/38 GHz is proposed for millimeter-wave communication systems in this paper. The multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna geometry consists of a slotted ellipse enclosed within a hollow circle which is orthogonally rotated with a connected partial ground at the back. The overall size of the four elements MIMO antenna is 2.24λ × 2.24λ (at 27.12 GHz). The prototype of four-element MIMO resonator is designed and printed using Rogers RT Duroid 5880 with εr = 2.2 and loss tangent = 0.0009 and having a thickness of 0.8 mm. It covers dual-band having a fractional bandwidth of 15.7% (27.12–31.34 GHz) and 4.2% (37.21–38.81 GHz) for millimeter-wave applications with a gain of more than 4 dBi at both bands. The proposed antenna analysis in terms of MIMO diversity parameters (Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) and Diversity Gain (DG)) is also carried out. The experimental result in terms of reflection coefficient, radiation pattern, gain and MIMO diversity parameter correlates very well with the simulated ones that show the potential of the proposed design for MIMO applications at millimeter-wave frequencies.This work is supported by the Moore4Medical Project, funded within ECSEL JU in collaboration with the EU H2020 Framework Programme (H2020/2014-2020) under Grant Agreement H2020-ECSEL-2019-IA-876190, and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (ECSEL/0006/2019). This work is also funded by the FCT/MEC through national funds and when applicable co-financed by the ERDF, under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement under the UID/EEA/50008/2020 Project